Easter chocolate pastry braid made from puff pastry, filled with a chocolate bar and decorated with ganache and Cadbury mini eggs.
Puff Pastry Braid Recipe
This Easter treat was inspired by this Portuguese Easter bread (Folar de Páscoa) or a Polish Easter Egg Braid (Paska).
Unlike traditional Easter bread, our puff pastry braid is easy and quick to make and resembles both Portuguese and Polish bread, incorporating lots of chocolate -- including chocolate Easter mini eggs.
I didn't have to slave in the kitchen, and yet I was able to keep all the flavors, looks, and traditions. 😉
The key shortcut came from using store-bought puffy pastry, which was filled with a semisweet chocolate bar, brushed with an egg wash, and then garnished with a drizzle of chocolate ganache and Cadbury chocolate mini eggs -- a real favorite of mine.
Of course, technically speaking our Easter chocolate puff pastry braid is not a bread, but a pastry that resembles a bread. 😉
How to Make Pastry Braid
- Cut and fill: Lay out one sheet of thawed puff pastry on a sheet of parchment paper or a lightly floured surface. Place one chocolate bar in the center of the puff pastry sheet, and cut diagonal lines into the pastry sheet along the left and right sides of the chocolate bar (about an inch between each line). Then remove the corner pieces of pastry.
- Braid: Starting from the top, fold down one of the top diagonal flaps across the chocolate bar, and then alternate folding down the remaining flaps right and left until you are close to the bottom. Fold the bottom flap up and then finish folding down the last remaining flaps alternately right and left. If necessary, tuck any extra puff pastry underneath.
- Place the braided puff pastry on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush with egg wash. NOTE: Please, do not garnish with the chocolate eggs at this point.
- Bake at 415°F (213°C) for about 16-20 minutes or until chocolate has melted and puff pastry is golden brown. Remove tray from the oven and let sit on a rack while preparing the chocolate ganache.
- Make the ganache and decorate: Place chocolate chips and heavy cream into a small bowl and microwave in 30-second intervals just until the chocolate has melted. Stir well to obtain a smooth mixture. Using a fork, drizzle the pastry braid with the chocolate ganache. Decorate with the chocolate eggs and let set. Enjoy!
How to Store Chocolate Puff Pastry Braid
Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.
Other Easter Treats
PIN AND ENJOY!
BEST Pastry Braid
Equipment
- 1 baking sheet
- 1 oven
Ingredients
- 8.6 grams puff pastry thawed according to the directions of the package (OR one sheet of puff pastry)
- 4.25 ounces dark or semisweet chocolate bar ( one chocolate bar)
- 1 large egg lightly beaten with 1 teaspoon of water
- ⅓ cup semisweet or dark chocolate chips
- 3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
- Cadbury milk chocolate mini eggs with a crisp sugar shell
Instructions
- Cut and fill: Lay out one sheet of thawed puff pastry on a sheet of parchment paper or a lightly floured surface. Place one chocolate bar in the center of the puff pastry sheet, and cut diagonal lines into the pastry sheet along the left and right sides of the chocolate bar (about an inch between each line). Then remove the corner pieces of pastry.
- Braid: Starting from the top, fold down one of the top diagonal flaps across the chocolate bar, and then alternate folding down the remaining flaps right and left until you are close to the bottom. Fold the bottom flap up and then finish folding down the last remaining flaps alternately right and left. If necessary, tuck any extra puff pastry underneath.
- Place the braided puff pastry on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush with egg wash. NOTE: Please, do not garnish with the chocolate eggs at this point.
- Bake at 415°F (213°C) for about 16-20 minutes or until chocolate has melted and puff pastry is golden brown. Remove tray from the oven and let sit on a rack while preparing the chocolate ganache.
- Make the ganache and decorate: Place chocolate chips and heavy cream into a small bowl and microwave in 30-second intervals just until the chocolate has melted. Stir well to obtain a smooth mixture. Using a fork, drizzle the pastry braid with the chocolate ganache. Decorate with the chocolate eggs and let set. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
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Oh my God! With such a recipe I can't wait to experience Easter this year! Looks absolutely yummy 🙂 Would it taste good with some hot chocolate?
I love the Brazilian tradition of a chocolate Easter treat! My family would definitely love your decadent braid!!
So glad to see you here, dear Liz. Enjoy! Wishing you a very happy Easter!
Holy Moly!! This looks amazing! I think I'll need to test the recipe this weekend to make sure it works (wink, wink) 🙂
Wow, I think my kids would go nuts if I made this, so much chocolate! It looks gorgeous!
Thanks, Adina!
Drooling, Denise! Now I have a reason to buy those eggs I love so much!
Enjoy, Abbe! I love Cadbury eggs so much that every year I will await them with excitement and buy several bags to continue eating them long after Easter. 🙂
Denise....this looks luscious! I'd give up all the candy in my Easter basket for a slice of this!
Super creative and super delicious! This is a stunner. I love EVERYTHING about this chocolate braid!
Wow, look at all the flavor you packed into this recipe! Would love this -- looks terrific, and tastes much, much better I'll wager. Really good -- thanks.
Wow, great minds like alike hehehe, I was just trying to convince myself to try this super easy recipe and I was skeptical, now you've assured me that this is a no fail recipe that pleases everyone :). Pinned and FB. I'll try to post it everywhere.. this is the kind of recipes that should go viral my dear <3.
Such a spectacular Easter bread! The photo tutorial is wonderful. My family insists on homemade cinnamon rolls, but once I serve this beauty they will change their minds!
Oh, thank you, Deb! I' love to try your homemade cinnamon rolls.
I think all my chocolate dreams have come true! 🙂
Wow a block of chocolate in that pastry, I am in. Even non kids would love them
My children and husband were as happy as you can imagine... Hehe.